AbstractObjectivesTo assess the proportion of children being stunted and underweight-for-age at 3, 9 and 15 months in Lambaréné, Gabon, using the WHO child growth standards released in 2006 as compared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 1978 child growth charts/references.Design and settingProspective birth cohort in Lambaréné, Gabon.SubjectsTwo hundred and eighty-nine children from birth to 15 months of age.MethodsWeight and length were recorded at 3, 9 and 15 months. CorrespondingZscores for stunting and underweight-for-age were calculated for the three different standards/references. Children with a height-for-age or weight-for-age below –2sdof the corresponding reference median (Zscore ≤−2) were classified as stunted or underweight-for-age, respectively.ResultsWith the new WHO 2006 standards a higher proportion (4·0 %) of 3-month-old infants were underweight compared with the CDC (1·0 %) or the NCHS (0·7 %) child growth charts/references. In contrast to the NCHS references or the CDC charts, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months. The proportion of children being stunted was highest (above 20 %) with the WHO 2006 standards at all three ages. Again, in contrast to the old standards, this proportion did not increase from 3 to 9 months or from 9 to 15 months.ConclusionsThe present results show considerably different growth faltering patterns for Gabonese children depending on the growth charts used to assess the prevalence of stunting and underweight. Shifting to the new WHO child growth standards may have important implications for child health programmes.
Comparing the Use of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization Growth Charts in Children with Cystic Fibrosis through 2 Years of Age